ELVIS IS STILL ACTIVE IN NORWAY

Follow That Dream is an exclusive Elvis specialty label run out of Denmark by BMG. To date there are almost a dozen and a half releases. Here is a review of Elvis New Year's Eve by Norwegian fan Oven Egeland who runs the fan site Elvis Is Still Active In Norway [http://home.online.no/~ov-egela/indexep.html] FTD releases are all officially approved releases but extremely limited.

ELVIS PRESLEY
GIRL HAPPY - BMG 82876 50408 2
FTD

by Oven Egeland

1: Girl Happy
2: Spring Fever
3: Fort Lauderdale Chamber Of Commerce
4: Startin' Tonight
5: Wolf Call
6: Do Not Disturb
7: Cross My Heart And Hope To Die
8: The Meanest Girl In Town
9: Do The Clam
10: Puppet On A String
11: I've Got To Find My Baby
12: You'll Be Gone
13: Puppet On A String (5, 6, 7*) [Out In Hollywood]
14: The Meanest Girl In Town (7, 8, 9*) [Out In Hollywood]
15: Spring Fever (4)
16: Do Not Disturb (24, 25, 26, 27)
17: Cross My Heart And Hope To Die (4)
18: Girl Happy (1, 2, 3, 4*) [Collectors Gold]
19: Puppet On A String (10) [Today, Tomorrow And Forever]
20: Spring Fever (18, 19, 21)
21: The Meanest Girl In Town (11)
22: Do Not Disturb (35)
23: Cross My Heart And Hope To Die (9, 10, 11) [Used for spliced master]
24: Girl Happy (13 and 4 of ending) [Used for spliced master]

Tracks in green denotes previously unreleased takes (officially).

Available on bootlegs:
Tracks 13, 15, 16, 18 and 23 available on Girl Happy At The World's Fair

This updated soundtrack is presented in a very stylish way. The CD is housed in a colorful gatefold pack with appropriate pictures and necessary information. Inside you will also find a booklet telling more about the movie and the soundtrack. A nice touch from FTD, indeed!

The CD first contains the original LP soundtrack. In addition you will find 12 bonus tracks, 9 of which has never been released officially before.

The sound quality is very good all the way through. FTD has added reverb to the master takes. This works very fine on these recordings. However, it means that the sound picture is not equal to the outtakes, which have not been treated this way.

Almost all takes have been available on bootlegs before; see Girl Happy At The World's Fair. Only 'Spring Fever' (take 18-21), 'Do Not Disturb' (take 24-27 and 35) and 'The Meanest Girl In Town' (take 11) are totally new. In addition we get the complete take 13 of 'Girl Happy' and the WP take 4, both used to create the final master of this song.

Elvis struggled to complete 'Do Not Disturb'. A total of 36 takes were necessary. This CD features 6 of those. I would have liked if FTD also included the complete masters of 'Fort Lauderdale Chamber Of Commerce' and 'I've Got To Find My Baby'. Both were shortened before original release. They are only available in this shortened form on this CD also.

However, I would recommend this CD whether you like the music or not. Such dedication from FTD should be supported!

© Oven Egeland, May 2003